In a dispatch voice communication system, messages are transmitted at random times, by an originating voice communication device, and exhibit random duration. The target communication device, upon detecting that a transmission is being received, synchronizes to the originator's transmission, and, preferably, decodes the transmission for the duration of the voice message. In most cases, the voice message is delivered to the target device in real time, and played out through a speaker or earphone. Often, in a wireless communication system, the voice channel becomes unreliable during the course of the transmission, and the target device may not be able to determine whether the transmission has ended or not. In the case when the target has lost the originator's transmission, and is not sure if this transmission is still in progress, the target may decide to drop the call, and go back to monitoring an acquisition channel for new transmissions. This can result in many transmissions being dropped prematurely by the target device. Alternatively, the target may continue to decode the voice channel, but without a reliable received signal. In many cases, this will result in the target hanging on to the voice channel for too long, and potentially missing other transmissions, which can occur on the acquisition channel. Clearly, a more robust solution is needed for ending dispatch voice transmissions on erratic communication channels.